The spacious and modern recreational area along Lakeshore Drive in Lakeview, New Orleans affords plenty of opportunities to enjoy barbecues, picnics, fishing, and picturesque drives.
A lake as your backyard. A park as your front yard.
If you’re thinking of buying a home in Lakeview, you’re in for a treat. The elegant, spacious, peaceful, charming neighborhood may look like an ordinary suburb at first glance. But in a city brimming with amazing neighborhoods, it has more than enough history, charm, and architecture to hold its own.
Occupying low ground between Mid-City and Lake Pontchartrain, the beautiful recreational areas of Lakeview include the easily accessible, sprawling City Park, as well as New Basin Canal Park, West End Park, Breakwater Park, and Lakeshore Park.
We have recommended Lakeview as the best neighborhood “if you are retiring and want some peace and quiet.” However, despite its reputation for tranquility, Lakeview boasts a vibrant side, offering a variety of activities beyond quiet leisure. It’s an excellent location to consider for homebuyers who revel in the outdoors.
Sailing, Boating, and Fishing on Lake Pontchartrain
The enormous Lake Pontchartrain — 630 square miles — is a haven if you own or have access to a boat.
Lakeview has a large sailing and boating community. You often see boats parked next to cars in the driveways of the neighborhood’s mid-century modern brick ranch-style homes. When weather conditions allow, a picturesque scene unfolds, with numerous boats, sailboats, and yachts serenely anchored or gently navigating in the distance. Notably, Lakeview is home to two esteemed yacht clubs: New Orleans Yacht Club and Southern Yacht Club.
Walking, Biking, Fishing, and Picnicking on Lakeshore Drive
The spacious and modern recreational area along Lakeshore Drive affords plenty of opportunities to enjoy barbecues, picnics, crawfish boils, fishing, picturesque drives and bike rides, and stunning sunsets. On warm sunny days, you’ll see people eating at one of the shelters, fishing off the stone steps, biking, walking a dog, or sitting on a bench gazing at the lake. Lakeshore Drive is a great place to exercise, enjoy the day with your family, or quietly unwind.
Dining Outdoors and Sightseeing
The Lakeshore Drive area is also home to a slew of restaurants with outdoor seating — and one important New Orleans landmark. The popular waterfront restaurants give you excellent views of the marina and the lake, and they feature deck dining, live music, happy hours, and plenty of fresh gulf seafood. We especially recommend Felix’s Restaurant & Oyster Bar; Lakeview Harbor; The Blue Crab Restaurant and Oyster Bar, which gets bonus points for being dog-friendly; and Russell’s Marina Grill, which is a little off the Drive, on Pontchartrain Boulevard, but is also dog-friendly and has one of the best brunches in the city.
The Mardi Gras fountain, one of the city’s best-hidden landmarks, is the brainchild of the late Blaine Kern, Mr. Mardi Gras himself. Built in 1962 to pay tribute to Carnival, the fountain is surrounded by plaques depicting dozens of famous Mardi Gras krewes. It’s a must-see if you are interested in New Orleans history.
Hiking, Biking, Fishing, and Golfing at City Park
Two parks, New Basin Canal Park and City Park, add plenty of greenery to the vistas here.
One of the oldest urban parks in the country and the city’s treasured attraction, New Orleans City Park connects Lakeview to Mid-City and Bayou St. John and offers almost anything you could want in a park: fishing lagoons, bayous, wildlife, bike and hiking paths, festival grounds, playgrounds, picnic grounds, mini-golf, an amusement park. The Lakeview side of City Park is also home to the Bayou Oaks golf complex.
The New Basin Canal Park is a 1.1-mile (2,500-step) walking and biking route and has an interesting backstory. Constructed by the New Orleans Canal and Banking Company in 1831 with a capital of 4 million US dollars, the New Basin Canal aimed to compete with the Carondelet Canal, connecting Lake Pontchartrain to the booming uptown section of the city. Throughout the 19th century, it held commercial significance, aiding drainage and facilitating the harvest of bald cypress trees. After World War I, its importance waned, and it closed in 1936. The canal route later transformed into the Pontchartrain Expressway and I-10, with a segment now serving as New Basin Canal Park, a green space along West End Boulevard.
Browsing the Longue Vue House and Gardens
The gardens of Longue Vue are the masterwork of landscape architect Ellen Biddle Shipman, who was a friend of Longue Vue founders Edith and Edgar Stern. In 1968, Edith Stern opened the gardens of Longue Vue to the public, and the gardens have been meticulously maintained ever since.
The Sterns have a house on the grounds that you can also tour, either separately or along with the gardens. Or stroll through the gardens and grounds on your own and at your own pace. Bring a picnic to enjoy under the shade of the majestic Oak Allée or explore the interactive children’s Discovery Garden.
Ready to make Lakeview your home and experience the lakeside lifestyle for yourself? Whether you’re looking to buy a home or explore real estate options, contact our Realtors to help you find the perfect property.